Face up to your inner fatso and get fit by running into spring

Wednesday 21 March 2012 10:35 BST

Pound the streets: running is a great way to lose weight

HIT THE STREETS: No excuses. The Grit Doctor Ruth Field says run, even if you hate it

The months of being able to hide our flab under warm knits are finally behind us. But while this brings relief to a fit few, it is more likely to bring horror to many. Mainly those who have been hibernating on the sofa since last November.

If you’re reading this on the Tube and thinking, “No, not me. I look okay”, the chances are you are lying to yourself. Statistics prove that a lot of us are overweight, unfit and are deluding ourselves. No more excuses! Face up to the truth, but fear not. You don’t need to join an expensive gym and spend hours there each week — a simple, free and time-efficient solution is on your very own doorstep: running.

Oh, but of course, you can’t. You hate running. You know you won’t enjoy it — and you’re right. For the past 10 years I have run three times a week, and for at least the first 10 minutes have hated every painful, effortful second. And that’s the point: running is hard but, more importantly, it works.

If like me you enjoy your food and drink (and time spent having fun) it’s simply the answer. And as a busy mother of twins, in the short periods I have to exercise, running makes the most efficient use of that time — and it costs nothing. In fact, you probably have everything you need to do it already, save for a kick up the arse. But you have me for that.

Run Fat Bitch Run, by Ruth Field, is published by Sphere, £10.99.

THE GRIT DOCTOR'S GUIDE

Get motivated

1. Take your clothes off and stand in front of a large mirror in good light. Let it all hang out and don’t look to your partner for reassurance. Tell yourself the ugly truth about your reflection and remember it whenever you are considering skiving a run. I call myself a fat bitch — and laugh my way into my trainers. Remember, the hard part is getting the trainers on and stepping outside. Once you are out, you’ve already won.

2. Find a motivating mantra to spur you on. ‘Every time you run, you win’, I use when I’m in a Chariots of Fire kind of mood.

3. Locate your inner bitch — that no-nonsense voice we all have — and instead of silencing her with crisps and wine while killing another evening in front of the telly, pay closer attention to what she is saying. She is telling you to drink more water and eat more greens. She is also extremely concerned about the enormous dent you have made in the couch. She is your motivator and key to success. Tune in to her and you will be pounding the streets in no time.

Get moving

1. Stop thinking about it and start doing it.

2. Put on your trainers and loose, comfortable clothes, open your front door and start walking. You haven’t got time? Rubbish. We all have some minutes spare each day. DO. IT. NOW.

3. Repeat this daily until you can slowly jog for five minutes.

4. Increase your time by five minutes a week, depending on your fitness level. How do you know what your fitness level is? Stop asking stupid questions and use your common sense. If you can manage another five minutes, you know it.

5. Do not try to make this fun. IT IS NOT FUN.

6. Practise regularly. I run three times a week

HIT THE GYM: David Higgins on making the most of the treadmill

Whether you’re training for a marathon or just enjoy zoning out on the belt while getting a sweat on there are a few tips to help you to get the best out of your treadmill workout. Because, let’s face it, showing your running face to the world is not for everyone.

There is a common misconception that treadmill running is far easier than doing it outdoors, and research suggests that you do indeed expend five to 10 per cent more energy on the pavement than you would on a horizontal belt. However, simply by programming your treadmill to an incline of one per cent cancels this difference out.

But which programme is best for you? Treadmills aren’t just a motor that moves a belt around at different speeds. They now come with many special features, including fat-burning and interval programmes, calorie counters and heart-rate measuring devices. This number of alternatives makes it all too easy to get confused — and put off.

I’ll let you in on a little secret: most of these special features are a ploy by the manufacturers to sell their equipment, and you don’t really need them. What is most important is how much support the treadmill gives you underfoot, how fast and high it can go, and how quiet the motor is.

Here is a standard treadmill workout that the majority of you should find challenging and effective.

Step one

Begin with a brisk walk for two minutes at a gradient of one per cent. The average speed for a man is around

6-7kph and for a woman 5-6kph.

Step two

Build up to a jog/run for 11 minutes, average speed for males 12-14kph, females 8-10kph. To challenge yourself further you can always increase the speed or gradient. The increase in gradient raises the treadmill to an incline simulating running up a hill — the higher the gradient, the more challenging it is to keep up your speed.

Step three

For the final two minutes reduce the speed and gradient down to a flat walk and cool off.